The answers to “What do Winnie the Pooh and John the Baptist have in common?”

1. They both ate honey.
2. They both wore fur coats.
3. They have the same middle name.

That’s from my notes from an adult camp meeting quite a few years ago, included in a letter to family which turned up in a box of papers a few days ago.

I found my very old copy of Winnie the Pooh. When I was little, I enjoyed the stories–How do Christopher Robin and his friends resolve this dilemma?  Now I appreciate the humor.  Once again, it’s good bedtime reading.

 

 

What Three Things do Winnie the Pooh and John the Baptist have in common?

If you can’t guess, maybe these quotations will help:

Winnie The Pooh

Once upon a time, a very long time ago now, about last Friday, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest all by himself under the name of Sanders.

(IWhat does “under the name” mean?” asked Christopher Robin.
“It means he had the name over the door in gold letters and he lived under it.”
Winnie-the-Pooh wasn’t quite sure,” said Christopher Robin.
“Now I am,” said a growly voice.
“Then I will go on,” said I.)

One day when he was out walking, he came to an open place in the middle of the forest, and in the middle of this place was a large oak-tree, and from the top of the tree there came a loud buzzing noise.

Winnie-the-Pooh sat down at the foot of the tree, put his head between his paws, and began to think.

First of all, he said to himself: “That buzzing noise means something.  You don’t get a buzzing noise like that, just buzzing and buzzing, without its meaning something.  If there’s a buzzing noise, somebody’s making a buzzing noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing noise that I know of is because you’re a bee…And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey.”

John the Baptist  Matthew 3, Modern English Version

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make His paths straight.’ ”

This same John had clothing made of camel’s hair, a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to escape from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the ax is put to the tree roots. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Answers to be posted tomorrow.

In case you’re wondering: One answer was obvious to me, I should have guessed the second, and the third—I had no idea!